Historian Douglas Brinkley Puts Trump’s 2025 in Historical Context

Historian Douglas Brinkley joins Terry Moran to make sense of one of the most chaotic years in modern American history. In this wide-ranging year-in-review conversation, Brinkley places Trump’s second term in historical context — from the collapse of the Cold War consensus and NATO anxiety to the return of economic nationalism, political violence, and a reshaping of global power. They explore why Trump resonates with disaffected voters, how billionaire populism works, the legacy of the long 1960s, and why this moment echoes earlier eras of upheaval. The discussion also covers assassinations, immigration, climate, executive power, the Supreme Court, and why historians are already calling Trump a world-historical figure. ⏱ CHAPTERS 00:00 – Making sense of a chaotic year 01:25 – Trump as an end-of-era figure 03:15 – The dismantling of the Cold War order 05:05 – NATO, Europe, and American abdication 07:45 – Economic nationalism and the Ross Perot legacy 09:25 – Why Trump connected with left-behind voters 11:40 – Trump’s desire for historical immortality 13:35 – Parallels to Nixon, Jackson, and earlier presidents 17:30 – Political violence and assassinations in 2025 21:00 – The Pope vs. Trump: competing moral visions 24:20 – Immigration and the erosion of rights 26:55 – The long shadow of the 1960s 29:25 – Executive orders and authoritarian drift 33:00 – Is Trump slipping or doubling down? 38:15 – What historians are watching in 2026 #DouglasBrinkley #DonaldTrump #USHistory #WorldPolitics #Democracy